5.4 Head Gasket Help
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5.4 Head Gasket Help
Its time for a passanger side head gasket on my 2003 5.4. Its running great, but its throwing oil out bad. Truck has 150k miles on it, so im wondering what all I need to do the job? I know I need a right head gasket, intake gasket, and front cover gasket, valve cover gasket, but what am I missing? How long will the timing chains run? Time to replace waterpump or not? I think ford has a improved head gasket, do they offer a complete gasket kit for this 5.4? Any special tools needed to keep it in time, or lock the head up? Will I need to have the valves ground? Im planning on doing this in truck, it looks tight but I think its do-able. I don't have a lift, so cab removal is out. I have changed head gaskets in old push rod motors, but this overhead cam is going to be my first. Anything I need to know so I don't screw something up? Thanks This 5.4 is in 2003 F250 Super Duty. Thanks
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I have the same task ahead of me. I've researched and picked people's brains . Everybody is telling me to take the cab off but I'm thinking not. If I do that it's getting a new 5.4 with some mods and a super charger. I was told that thare is a tool to remove the timeing chain ? Not sure what tool ? I've Healy coiled every spark plug hole in the head so I think it's time for a motor? Good luck and let me know if it was a pain? Also the heads are studed so u need the room to slide head off of them.
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Joined: Mar 2013
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I've read that u don't have to but I've talked with a buddy of mine that has been in the Biz for 25 years and he said it was way Easyer. In the hyans book it's dosnt say to? My truck is a 02 so it's a lil difrent than the newer ones. We looked at it the other day and he said maybe I don't have to but it will save a ton of time. But u do need a lift to do so. Well to make it a safe disassembly . Thay defintly are head studs and thay are long I heard it is really tight but it can be done. Like any kind of motor work on these trucks it's going to make u curse and bleed and get upside down and dirty! That is my experance anyway. I did a rock ram In a blizered a few mouths ago and right after I blew my last not Healy coiled plug out in a blizered still so it was 2 vary cold and frustrating days. Not so happy with the engineering with ford! But love my truck I've had her sins she was born.
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You can take the motor out with the cab on. It's just Easyer to work on with the cab off. I would recommend getting a gasket kit . I've found over the years some things are best quality wise to get from stealer ship I hate to say. But check if the gaskets have been revised . And part of the reson the heads leek is stretch on the head studs. So new stud mite be a good idea?. This is all stuff that I think wen I get my stuff together . Hope that helps a lil.?
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Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Upstate NY
Lol seriously pulling the cab for a 5.4 head gasket? Doesn't sound right, I've done 6.0 gaskets and studs without pulling my cabs
Could always pull the front clip and work on the engine on a stand
I've never wrenched much on these 5.4's, we did just put a rebuilt one in a f150 though.
So these engines aren't like old small blocks with pushrods where removing the heads is way easier, now I have to pull front cover and removes those timing chains to pull the heads? How do you know if you put the heads back in and the cams& chains Are in time?
And I have tried searching but it only brings up people asking how much headgasket job costs
Could always pull the front clip and work on the engine on a stand
I've never wrenched much on these 5.4's, we did just put a rebuilt one in a f150 though.
So these engines aren't like old small blocks with pushrods where removing the heads is way easier, now I have to pull front cover and removes those timing chains to pull the heads? How do you know if you put the heads back in and the cams& chains Are in time?
And I have tried searching but it only brings up people asking how much headgasket job costs
